Renault has taken the concept a automobile can empower people – giving them greater control, freedom and a real sense of agency – totally to heart.
Sat behind the wheel of the Renault Rafale E-Tech Hybrid Iconic Esprit Alpine, I used to be drawn to a curious setting buried within the Multi-Sense menu – Perso. At first, I assumed it was just one other drive mode, sitting alongside the more obvious Eco, Comfort, and Sport.
A bit more exploring revealed something rather more intriguing: Perso is actually a blank canvas, a totally customisable driving profile that lets the driving force fine-tune the Rafale’s personality to their exact taste.
The Multi-Sense system itself will probably be familiar to anyone who’s driven recent Renaults.
The default modes are locked to Renault’s own settings. Eco dials back throttle response and optimises the gearbox for efficiency. Comfort offers the most effective balance between suppleness and control and is the mode the automobile defaults to on startup.
Sport, as you’d expect, sharpens the steering and throttle, and keeps the gearbox primed for quicker acceleration.
But Perso is where things get fun. Watch the video
Here, you’re the engineer. Want the sunshine steering of Comfort, but with the sharper throttle of Sport? Fancy cranking the suspension to its firmest setting while keeping the climate control in Eco mode to avoid wasting a couple of miles of range?
Perso lets the magic occur. You’ll be able to even determine how the engine behaves – anything from ultra-relaxed to razor-sharp.
Renault’s Multi-Sense system might not be entirely unique in today’s automotive offerings, but it surely stands out as a defining feature inside the brand’s line-up.
It delivers a high level of personalisation by mixing and adapting a automobile’s driving dynamics with its interior ambiance, creating an experience that’s tailored to the driving force.
It’s not entirely unique, manufacturers comparable to BMW with its Driving Experience Control and Mercedes-Benz’s Dynamic Select offer similar technologies that adjust elements of a automobile’s performance and feel.
Renault’s approach is notable for the depth of integration between mechanical and sensory elements nevertheless.
Through a single interface engaged by the Multi-Sense button, interactive screen or voice command, drivers can tweak the engine, gearbox, steering, suspension, and even ambient lighting bringing all these settings together under one logical system.
Then there’s the mood lighting and climate control with the alternative of normal or economical management.
The Rafale offers no fewer than 48 colors, with the choice to have them cycle subtly as you drive. I opted for an azure blue for daytime driving – daring without being distracting – but toned down for night driving.
My ideal Perso setup? Steering in its lightest setting, engine response in Sport for immediate punch, and suspension firmed up high for tighter body control. It’s the final word in styling a two-tonne SUV in line with your exact specification.
It’s a reminder that, while manufacturers often dictate how their cars should feel, Renault is glad handy over the keys – no less than metaphorically speaking.
Price: £37,195
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol hybrid
Transmission: Automatic
Fuel Economy: as much as 58.9 mpg (WLTP)
CO2 Emissions: from 108 g/km (WLTP)
Performance: 0-62mph 8.9 secs
Max speed: 111 mph
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
